Power faults fall into two families: the battery itself, and the path that charges it. A laptop that will not charge may have a tired cell, a dead charger, a worn socket or a fault on the board. The workshop separates these before quoting.

Signs the battery is the problem

• Runtime has dropped to a fraction of what it once was.
• The laptop shuts down without warning when the mains is unplugged.
• The battery reports a high percentage and then falls off a cliff.
• The underside or trackpad area has begun to bulge, which means the cells have started to swell.
• A message about battery condition or service appears in the system.

Signs the charging path is the problem

• The charger works on another machine but not on this one.
• The socket has become loose, or the plug needs to be held at an angle.
• The charge light never comes on, or flickers.
• The laptop runs fine on the mains but the charge never rises.
• The socket has obviously been caught on a cable and pulled sideways.

What the workshop does

1. Reads the battery data. Cycle count, design capacity and current capacity are read and compared, so wear can be measured rather than guessed.
2. Tests the charger. Where a known-good charger of the right rating is available, it is swapped in to rule the original out.
3. Inspects the socket. The charging socket is checked for movement, debris and wear, and the charge circuit is tested under magnification.
4. Repairs the fault found. A swollen or worn battery is replaced with a part matched to the model. A worn socket is re-soldered or replaced. A charger is replaced if it has failed.
5. Confirms the result. The laptop is charged from a low level and watched, so the repair is judged on a real charge cycle.

What it usually costs

Work	Typical band	Notes
Battery replacement	Lower to mid range	Part-led; the model decides most of the price
Charging socket re-solder	Lower range	Where the board allows a clean joint
Charging socket replacement	Lower range	Soldered type may cost more than a plug-in type
Charge circuit fault	Mid range	Board-level, quoted after diagnosis

Making the next battery last

Heat is the enemy of cells, so avoid leaving a laptop running hard on a soft cushion that blocks the vents, and avoid leaving it on charge in a hot car. If you mostly work on the mains, it still helps to let the battery cycle now and then rather than holding it at full all year. And if you keep a spare charger, keep one of the right rating rather than the nearest one that fits the socket, because the wrong rating can stress the charge circuit over time.

A note on chargers

A charger of the wrong rating can work well enough to charge a laptop slowly while quietly stressing the charge circuit. If a replacement charger has been bought, keep the original rating rather than the nearest fit, and if a charger runs hot enough to be uncomfortable, stop using it and have the laptop checked along with the charger.